2018 S.C. Palmetto Hands Fine Craft Competition & Exhibition Winners

Fine craft artists and artisans from across South Carolina were invited to participate in the state’s only juried fine craft competition and exhibition: the 17th Annual South Carolina Palmetto Hands Fine Craft Competition & Exhibition. Presented May 2-6 as a component of the 2018 North Charleston Arts Fest, the show is organized annually by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department.

After an extensive pre-jury process, 42 applicants were asked to participate and 81 entries were submitted in the categories of clay, fiber, metal, glass, wood, and 3D mixed media. Cash awards totaling $6,500 were made at the sole discretion of the juror, Rachel Reese, associate curator of modern and contemporary art at Telfair Museums in Savannah, Ga.

“The quality of artwork submitted is a testament to the ongoing value that visual artists contribute to material culture, and this presentation of artworks exemplifies the vibrancy, imagination, energy, and great talent of South Carolina artists working today,” Reese said.

Reese also selected pieces from the show to assemble a South Carolina Palmetto Hands Fine Craft Traveling Exhibition, which will tour the state through the South Carolina State Museum’s 2018/2019 Traveling Exhibitions Program. Galleries, museums, and art centers across the state can request the exhibit to visit their facilities on its tour.

Four pieces were selected for City of North Charleston Purchase Awards. These selections will be added to the City of North Charleston’s Permanent Public Art Collection, which is on display within North Charleston City Hall throughout most of the year.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2018 South Carolina Palmetto Hands Fine Craft Competition & Exhibition:

Best of Show

“A Lively Live Oak” (fiber) by Peg Weschke (Hilton Head Island)

Outstanding Merit

• “Sashay” (clay) by Gary Huntoon (Travelers Rest)
• “Mosaic Cherry Bowl” (wood) by Dale Fort (Charleston)

City of North Charleston Purchase Awards

• “Rising Waters” (encaustic) by Marty Biernbaum
• “Spot On: Chartreuse Raku #1” (clay) by Nancy Waterhouse (Bluffton)
• “Summertime Tea Time” (clay) by Marsha Nordyke (Summerville)
• “A Small Disturbance in the House of Pluto” (mixed media) by Robin Howard (Mount Pleasant)

Honorable Mention

• “Summertime Delight” (clay) by Marsha Nordyke (Summerville)
• “Charleston Box #66” (mixed media) by Robin Howard (Mount Pleasant)
• “Refraction” (fiber) by Connie Lippert (Seneca)
• “Segmented Bowl” (wood) by Kenny Teague (Charleston)
• “A Little Birdie Told Me…” (mixed media) by Bob Thames (North Charleston)
• “A Farewell to Arms” (wood) by Robb Helm Kant (North Charleston)
• “Featherweight” (stoneware) by Justin Guy (Trenton)
• “Swirls III” (fiber) by Beth Andrews (Greer)
• “Three Stone Necklace” (mixed media) by Rachel Weiss (Charleston)
• “Melting Point” (porcelain) by Annie Rhodes Lee (Folly Beach)
• “Lean on Me” (clay) by Sherrie Nesbitt (Summerville)
• “Spot On: Chartreuse Raku #1” (clay) by Nancy Waterhouse (Bluffton)

South Carolina Palmetto Hands Traveling Exhibition Selections

• “Summertime Delight” (clay) by Marsha Nordyke (Summerville)
• “A Lively Live Oak” (fiber) by Peg Weschke (Hilton Head Island)
• “Go Ask Alice” (embroidery on canvas) by Liz Holt (Conway)
• “Green Vessel” (felted fiber vessel) by Pam Shanley- (Summerville)
• “Ivy Relief” (wood) by Ben Pendarvis- (St. Helena Island)
• “Old School” (mixed media) by Patz Fowle- (Hartsville)
• “Charleston Box #66” (mixed media) by Robin Howard (Mount Pleasant)
• “Segmented Bowl” (wood) by Kenny Teague (Charleston)
• “Solution” (metal and wood) by Robb Helmkamp – (North Charleston)
• “Dr. Seuss Teapot” (clay) by Mark Vail – (Charleston)
• “Petting Zoo” (fiber) by Evelyn Beck- (Anderson)
• “Shawl Spring Sunrise” (textiles) by Iryna Toney- (Summerville)
• “Mosaic Cherry Bowl” (wood) by Dale Fort (Charleston)
• “Three Stone Necklace” (mixed media) by Rachel Weiss (Charleston)
• “Lean on Me” (clay) by Sherrie Nesbitt (Summerville)
• “Spot On: Lapio Raku #2 and Denim #3” (clay) by Nancy Waterhouse (Bluffton)
• “Sashay” (clay) by Gary Huntoon (Travelers Rest)

North Charleston Arts Fest also featured a judged fine art and photography competition. You can find out the winners of that here.

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